next story

If You Do One Healthy Thing Today, Do This: Stand Up!

Sitting down for hours every day does more than just help promote "sitting-on-your-butt-all-day-itis," according to new research. It also shuts down a molecule called called lipoprotein lipase—which helps stimulate metabolism throughout the day.

Previous research about sitting all day long has found that it can lead to chronic ailments such as obesity, depression, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even premature death. Erp.

So this new study from Kansas State University examined data from nearly 200,000 men and women ages 45 to 106 (!). The study's authors found that sitting for long periods of time—even if the subjects exercised for 30 to 60 minutes a day, but spent the rest of their hours just sitting—meant that there was little muscular contraction in their bodies happening. And that led to the shutdown of lipoprotein lipase.

The key to stopping this shutdown, say the researchers: standing up and moving around periodically. This is kinda hard advice for those of us in jobs where we're required to be sitting down for eight hours a day...but even a little movement can help.

For example: Stand up and pace your office when you have a phone call; hit the water cooler when you need a drink, instead of just sipping your water bottle; drink enough water that you have to visit the bathroom more often (bonus: hydration!).

Hey, it's the little things that add up...right?! How do you keep your body moving throughout the day?